Spreader



July 13, 1943. H. s. HIROSHIMA SPREADER Filed NOV. 25, 1940 4Sheets-Sheet l f0 oddeoooo ATTO R N EY5 y 1943- H. s. HIROSHIMA2,323,995

SPREADER Filed Nov. 25, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lil :-.lililiii iil1-1:..-

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ATTORNEYS July 13, 1943- H. s. HIROSHIMA SPREADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledNov. 25, 1940 ATTORN EYS Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFlCE SPREADER flidekichi S. Hiroshima, Culver City, Calif. ApplicationNovember 25, 1940, Serial No. 367,108

4 Claims.

My invention relates to the application of. a fertilizer to the soil,particularly in connection with gardens and fields wherein the plantsarearranged in rows, and has among its objects and advantages the provisionof an improved spreader.

An object of my invention is to provide a manually portable spreaderdesigned to facilitate the application of fertilizer to the soil, and inwhich novel means are incorporated for regulating the amount offertilizer applied to the soil.

A further object is to provide a fertilizer in the nature of a manuallyportable vehicle provided with a hopper having an outlet for thefertilizer, in which a positively driven feeder device is associatedwith the outlet, and in which the'outlet may be controlled to vary theamount of fertilizer passing therethrough, in addition to regulating thewidth of the outlet opening so as to control the lateral spread of theapplication.

A further object is to provide a manually portable spreader particularlyadapted to the application of fertilizer to the soil having plantsarranged in row formation, in which the spreader is provided with anoutlet which may be controlled to deliver fertilizer to the soil betweenthe rows only to prevent application of fertilizer to the plants.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of\ the spreader Figure 2 is a topplan view;

Figure 3 is a sectional'view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--l o'f Fi'gure 1;

Figure 5 is a view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'll of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a sectional detail view of a modifled form of outlet whereinmeans are provided for varying the width of the outlet for applyingfertilizer to the soil having plants arranged in row formation ofvariable spacing;

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9--9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a view taken on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a sectional detail view taken on the line ll-ll of Figure10;

Figure 12 is a. plan view of one of the openlng control plates of theoutlet structure of Figures 8-11, and

Figure 13 is a detail view of a portion of a drive clutch actuatingmechanism employed in both forms of the invention.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, a hopper I0 ismounted on a frame ll supported at its forward end by a wheel I! andfashioned with handle bars I3 through the medium of which the vehicle ispushed across the field. Fig. 2 illustrates the hopper l0 as beingrectangular in configuration when viewed from the top. The side walls l4and the end walls l5 may comprise sheet metal appropriately secured oneto the other, as by welding, and the hopper is reinforced about itsupper margin by a metal frame 16. The side and end walls l4 and I5,respectively, converge downwardly and are riveted to a magazine I'Ihaving an outlet opening la in its bottom.

Frame Il may be formed of tubular stock for the sake of strength andlight weight, and the end walls of the hopper I0 may be welded to theframe, as at is in Fig. 1. Inside the magazine is positioned a rotaryfeeder 20, and the forward and rear walls of the magazine are curved inpart, as at 2|, to conform to the curvature of the outside diameter ofthe feeder 20, which feeder rotates in close proximity to the outletopening l8. rotary shaft 22 supported in bearings 23 carried by the endwalls 24 of the magazine H, see Fig. 4.

Upon the shaft 22 is fixedly secured a sleeve 25 provided with arms 26to which are secured spirally contoured blades 21 arranged to sweepacross the outlet opening l8 through rotation of the shaft 22. To oneend of the shaft 22 and exteriorly of the magazine I1 is mounted asprocket 28. In Fig. '7, the sprocket 28 is provided with a bore 29which fits loosely on the shaft 22. The sprocket 28 is located on theshaft 22 outwardly of the right hand bearing 23, and it contacts withthe outer face of said bearing. This bearing 23, and a pin 30 passingtransversely through the shaft 22 and contacting with the outer side ofthe sprocket 28, hold the sprocket against axial movement with relationto the shaft while permitting it to rotate freely on the shaft.

Adjacent the sprocket 28 and splined to the shaft 22 is a collar 3|. Thesprocket 28 and collar 3| are provided with mutually engageable clutchdogs 32. The collar 3| is keyed to the The feeder 20 comprises a shaft22 I for rotation therewith but may be moved longitudinally thereonrelative to the sprocket 28 for engaging and disengaging its ment of thedogs on the collar with the same dogs on the sprocket fixedly connectsthe sprocket 28 with the shaft 22.

Rotary motion is imparted to the sprocket 28 through the medium of achain 88 passing around a sprocket 84 rotated through turning of thewheel i2 when the spreader is moved across the field. The wheel i2 maybe of the inflatable tire type, and its disc 85 is fixedly secured to ashaft 88 supported by bolts 31 actuated by arms 88 welded to the framell. Fig. 6 illustrates the construction of one of the arms 38, bothbeing of the same construction, the description of one will apply toboth.

The arm 38 is provided with a slot 39 through which the bolt 40 extends.The eye 4i of a bolt 42 is mounted on the bolt 40 between the arm 38 andthe head 43 of the bolt. A right-angular lug 44 is formed at the end ofthe arm 38 and is provided with an opening 45 through which the bolt 42extends loosely, with the bolt provided with a lock nut 48. Bolt 48constitutes a shaft for one end of the shaft 38 and the arm 38constitutes a bearing for the bolt 40. AdJustment of the bolt 40longitudinally of the slot 39 determines the amount of slack in thechain 33, and the bolt 42 may be adjusted to shift the bolt 40 fortaking up slack incident to wear of the chain.

Collar 3| is provided with a circumferential groove 41, see Fig. '7, anda U-shaped member 48 is fitted loosely in the groove. In Fig. 13, a U-shaped member 49 fits over the U-shaped member 48 and is pivotallyconnected therewith through the medium of bolts 50. A shaft has one endpositioned in a bore 52 in the head 53 of the member 49 and is fixedlysecured therein by a set screw 54. In Fig. 1, shaft 5| is rotatablysupported by a bearing 55 secured to one of the magazine end walls 24.

Shaft 5| is operatively connected with a shaft 58 through the medium ofa universal Joint 51, and the shaft 58 extends rearwardly alongside oneof the handle bars l3 and has its rear end rotatably supported in abearing 58 secured to the handle bar. Each handle bar is provided with agrip 59, and the shaft 58 is provided with a right-angular handle 80adjacent the grip 59 ofits respective handle bar l3 so as to be withineasy reach of the operator.

A tension spring 5| has one end connected with the handle 80 and itsother end connected with a lip 82 fixed to the bearing 58, which springnormally supports the handle 50 in the upright position of Fig. 1, atwhich time the dogs on the collar 3| are in mesh with the same dogs onthe sprocket 28. A slight turn of the handle 50 in a clockwise directionby the thumb of the hand grasping the adjacent handle bar grip 59 willimpart pivotal movement to the U-shaped member 49, which in turn shiftsthe collar 3| on the shaft 22 for disengaging the clutch. U-shapedmember 49 is loosely fitted in the groove 41 so as to provideaccommodation for pivotal movement of the U-shaped member 49.

of flanges "projecting inwardly of the two end walls 24 of the magazine.An opening 88 is provided in the plate 84, and the plate may be shiftedto bring the opening into full or partial registration with the openingl8. Adjustment of the plate 84 is accomplished through the medium of acrank 81 fitting loosely in a slot 818 in the plate 84. Crank 81 isfashioned at one end of a shaft 88 rotatably supported in a bearing 88secured to a cross brace 18 between the two legs II, the upper ends ofwhich are welded to the frame II.

The legs Ii are so spaced as to support the Magazine i1 includes a plate83 at its bottom spreader in an upright position on the wheel l2.

The upper end of the shaft 88 is operatively connected with a shaft 12through the medium of a universal Joint I8, and the upper end of theshaft 12 is rotatably supported by a plate 14 secured to the uppermargin of one of the end walls I 5. At the upper end of the shaft 12 isfashioned a crank 15 to facilitate turning of the shaft and adjustmentof the plate 84. Fig. 2 illustrates the plate 14 as being provided withnumbered graduations 18 across which the crank 15 sweeps. Thus the crankmay be aligned with a selected graduation to determine a predetermineddegree of registration between the opening 88 in the plate 84 and theopening l8 in the magazine l1. Plate 84 may be adjusted to bring. theopening 88 out of registration with the opening l8 so as to completelyclose the magazine.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate an agitator ll inside the hopper III, whichagitator comprises a shaft 18 rotatably supported in bearings 18attached to the vertical side walls of the hopper I8, which side wallsconstitute continuations of the side walls l4. Agitating pins 8| projectradially from the shaft 18 and a sprocket 82 is keyed to the shaftexteriorly of the hopper.

Agitator H is rotated through the medium of a chain 83 which passesaround the sprocket 82 and a sprocket 84 keyed to the end of the shaft v22 opposite the sprocket 28 and exteriorly of the magazine l1. Bearings23 and 19 are provided with grease c'ups 85 for lubricating theirrespective shafts 22 and I8. Agitator ll maintains the fertilizer in thehopper in a loosened condition so as to insure a good supply to thefeeder 28.

In Figs. 8 through 12, I illustrate a spreader embodying a modifiedfeeder outlet structure and a hopper having a wider bottom, but theremaining structure is identical with that illustrated in Figs. 1through 7 and .13 so that like parts will be similarly numbered in bothforms. According to Figs. 8 and 9, the side walls of a hopper 9| areparallel from top to bottom but the end walls 92 are arranged inconverging relation and all of the walls are connected with the magazinel1. Underneath the plate 84 is positioned a width regulating plate 93which is held against the plate 64 by the flanges 85', and the plate 84'is slidable between the plate 83' and the plate 93. Fig. 12 illustratesthe plate 93 as being provided with a series of openings 94 along itstwo end margins, and the plate is provided with an outlet opening 95 oftrapezoidal configuration.

The opening 88 in the plate 84' overlies the opening 95 inthe plate 93so that the material flowing through the opening 85 must first passthrough the opening 58. The converging edges 96 defining two sides ofthe opening 95 are located adjacent the end walls 24 of the magazine I1so that the width of the outlet opening 85 may be varied throughadjustment of the plates 84' and 93 relative to each other.

which may be selectively inserted through the .openings 94 and throughopenings 98 in the flanges 65. Edges 96 converge in a considerabledegree so that slight relative shifting between the plates 64' and 93will change the width of the effective outlet area of the opening 66'.Thus the width of the band of fertilizer applied to the soil may beeffectively controlled with respect to the spacing between the plantrows. Many types of commercial fertilizer have chemical properties whichharm the plants when applied directly thereto. For this reason it isimportant that the fertilizer be applied directly to the soil and notscattered on the plants. The edges 96, which intercept the opening 66'in the plate 64', provide an effective means for Varying or shorteningthe uncovered length of the opening 66' so that the band of appliedfertilizer may be accurately controlled for width.

In both forms, the magazines l1 and H are spaced relatively close to theground surface so as to prevent wind currents from unduly scattering thefertilizer.

I claim:

1. A portable spreader, comprising a wheel I supported frame, a hoppercarried by the frame and having an outlet opening, a driven rotaryfeeder above the outlet opening, a plate below the hopper and having aslot corresponding to the opening in the hopper, means for shifting saidplate to vary the width of the outlet opening, or completely closing thesame, a second plate below the first mentioned plate and having anopening of progressively narrowing width, and means for adjustablyholding said second plate whereby the length of the discharge opening inthe first plate may be varied by a transverse movement of the secondplate.

2. A portable spreader, comprising a wheel supported frame, a hoppercarried by the frame and having an outlet opening extending transverselythereof, a driven rotary feeder above the outlet opening, a plate belowthe hopper and having a slot corresponding to the opening in the hopper,means for shifting said plate to vary the width of the outlet opening,or completely closing the same, an adjustable second plate sliding belowthe first mentioned plate and having an opening with obliquely arrangedends, and means for adjustably holding said second plate, whereby thelength of the discharge opening in the second plate may be varied by atransverse movement of the second plate.

3. A portable spreader, comprising a wheel supported frame, a hoppercarried by the frame and having an outlet opening extending entirelyacross the same, a rotary feeder above the outlet opening and driven bythe wheels of the frame, a plate below the hopper and having a slotcorresponding in size to the opening in the hopper, means for shiftingsaid plate and holding it in its adjusted position to vary the width ofthe outlet, or completely closing the same, a second plate below thefirst mentioned plate and having an opening of a width considerablygreater than the slot in the first mentioned plate and. having obliquelyarranged ends, and means for locking said second mentioned plate in itsadjusted position, whereby the length of the discharge opening from thehopper may be varied by the transverse adjustment of the secondmentioned plate.

4. A portable spreader, comprising a wheel supported frame, a hoppercarried by the frame and having an outlet opening extending entirelyacross the same, a driven rotary feeder above the outlet opening, aplate engaging the lower end of the hopper and having a slotcorresponding in size to the outlet opening of the hopper, means forshifting said plate transversely of the outlet

